Research
by Lugian Before Swine
Summary: In which Bandou and Shouhei think they're being sneaky and clever and neither of those things turn out to be true. T for implications. Oneshot.


**A/N: I have been itching to write this pairing for so long. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own K. Much love to those who do.**

* * *

"I have a lot of things to show you," Shouhei says, and that's how it begins.

"What's the point of being at the bar if we don't want anyone to see, anyway?" Bandou asks.

Shouhei grins and shrugs his shoulders. "It's fun?" It sounds like a question.

Two days later, Bandou knows the answer to that question (if it even was a question in the first place): yes, it is fun.

* * *

Even Bandou can admit that there is something about the recklessness of this that makes it particularly appealing. They both learn to tune out the everyday sounds of the bar—Yata's ranting, Izumo's shouting, Totsuka's off-key singing—as nothing about that produces an atmosphere that's conducive to their activities.

"Hey," Shouhei says one day as they hide in an inconveniently-located and therefore long-forgotten upstairs storeroom, "did you hear that?"

"Hmm?" Bandou says, because he's not quite capable of coherent sentences in that moment.

"It sounded like someone was laughing," Shouhei says quietly.

There is silence for a brief second. Then Bandou distinctly hears the laughter. He looks at Shouhei and shrugs.

They decide that ignoring the laughter is the best course of action.

* * *

"Did you…did you _research_ this?" Bandou asks him one night. "Like, look at a floor plan and explore the whole place?"

Shouhei just laughs, which Bandou takes to mean "Yes, of course I did."

* * *

"You know there are customers—" He is cut off, but it's in perhaps the nicest way possible, so never mind; he doesn't really have to say anything.

There is a sudden pounding on the wall and he realizes with a jolt that yes, he actually does have to say something. He reaches for Shouhei's shoulders and pushes, just enough so that he can look Shouhei in the eyes. "There are customers sitting at the bar. At the bar, do you understand?"

"I know that," Shouhei says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"…The bar is literally right outside this door—"

"I _know_ that." A pause. "San-chan—"

"Oh, fine," Bandou concedes hurriedly, because when has he ever had willpower when it came to Shouhei?

* * *

It wasn't a customer who pounded on the wall, they find out the next day. It was the young man currently seated at the bar, looking far too calm for his own good.

Bandou itched to punch him, but he wouldn't dare cause undue commotion near Izumo's liquor.

"I was just trying to be helpful," Chitose says, grinning. "I _am _trying to be helpful."

"How did you find out?" Shouhei asks mildly. He doesn't look at all concerned, just interested.

Bandou looks from Shouhei to Chitose and back again and wonders how his life has come to this.

"Everyone uses that upstairs stock room," Chitose drawls. "And the downstairs stock room was just plain obvious." He smirks. "Did you think you were being original?"

There is a pause. "…Everyone?" Bandou asks finally, feeling a little faint.

Shouhei's mouth is hanging open in surprise. It's most unattractive.

"Oh, come on," Chitose says. "Have you been in a room with Eric and Fujishima lately?"

"Oh my God," Bandou says.

"I knew it," Shouhei says excitedly.

"Have fun," and Chitose actually winks at them before walking away.

* * *

They take his advice.

* * *

If Chitose knows, then every single member of Homra knows, so rationally there's no point in hiding anymore, but it's almost become habitual at this point (that, and Bandou is uncomfortable with people openly staring at him.)

"Are you all right?" Shouhei asks him one night, when they are actually in a bedroom with a locked door like normal people.

"Why would I not be all right?"

"I mean, everyone knows…" Shouhei trails off.

"I mean, it was…it was never really about hiding, though, was it?" This is embarrassing. Bandou rubs at the back of his neck. "It was just…us. That's—that's what mattered."

Shouhei just stares at him.

"What?" Had he said the wrong thing? Had this not meant the same thing to Shouhei as it had meant to him? "Hey, I—"

Shouhei smiles. "You're so sweet, San-chan."

Bandou can feel himself blushing and it's the worst thing, the _worst_—

But if he leans in just a little closer, it becomes okay, and that's how the night ends.


End file.
